


Petrichor

by alaskomah



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anchors, Awesome Melissa McCall, BAMF Erica Reyes, Boys In Love, Characters Mentioned in Function of Importance, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dead Allison Argent, Dead Vernon Boyd & Erica Reyes, Discouraged because I don't like it anymore, Emissary Stiles Stilinski, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotionally Hurt Pack, Eye Sex, First Time, Friends to Lovers, I Tried, In Big Need of Rewriting, Kira and Derek Both Come Back, Love Triangle, Lust, Minor Character Death, Minor Scott McCall/Kira Yukimura, Multi, Mutual Pining, Other Characters not Mentioned to Avoid Spoilers, POV Isaac Lahey, Pack Bonding, Pack Cuddles, Pack Feels, Post-Season/Series 06, Protective Derek, Sane Peter Hale, Secret Relationships, Sexual Tension, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is Noah, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Theo Raeken Has Issues, Will Upload a Few More Chapters that Need Rewriting but That's it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 13:40:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17204411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alaskomah/pseuds/alaskomah
Summary: "He holds tight on Scott’s warm body, feeling his muscles tighten through his t-shirt. He can’t say he likes it, but he doesn’t dislike it either. It feels comfortable and right, and Scott’s scent is very familiar and smelling it brings him back all sorts of memories.""He can only feel the warm but thick rain pouring on his body, and he listens to the frightening dripping as his consciousness leaves. The last thing he feels is feeling completely vulnerable.""Kira Yukimura is walking through the doorway, her sword held up in front of her. Isaac cannot express how relieved he is to see her. Her eyes are bright orange, and they’re showing an intensity Isaac had never seen before on her. Her fox isn’t bursting out like it used to, but even him can sense it in her. They've become one.""A roar echoes through the hallway. Everybody freezes, and, as Isaac painfully turns his head towards the dusky sky through the window, he sees Erica Reyes, walking slowly in a hospital gown.""They stare at each other, and god, Isaac feels loved. He cared for him, he protected him, he was here for him in any way. For a moment, Isaac could nearly drown in those eyes, because it’s with Scott that he feels the best."





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> In this AU, all the plots of every season have occurred, expect the Alpha pack and Season 6B plot. And all these events have all occurred in two years – junior and senior year. Erica and Boyd have therefore disappeared; I’d say in the end of January, at the end of the Gerard/Kanima plot. The last events were the ones of the Ghost Riders in March. Five uneventful months have passed since then, and Kira has been training with the Skinwalkers. Allison didn’t survive the Nogitsune plot though. Isaac hasn’t left Beacon Hills at all, although Derek has, during the Dread Doctors and Beast of Gévaudan plot. Basically, this is an AU with a new plot, but with the original characters and settings.
> 
> Also, the prologue isn't completely necessary to read, but I strongly advise to read it to have a good idea of what you're reading.
> 
> Oh, and this is my very first fanfic.

It’s been nearly a year since the world has turned upside down. Erica and Boyd have disappeared while fleeing the pack. Kira has left, leaving only her sword as a memory of her. Isaac just doesn’t know what to do anymore. He sees the world around him move, lost to all its changes. He feels he’s lost any reason to live, like he’s worthless. The pack is small and feels just like it’s been dissolved. Everyone walks in school, passing by each other without even noticing each other. Isaac feels like the happiness and the joy of life that one reigned in the air of Beacon Hills has just left. People don’t smile as often, and it’s a fact.

At first, Isaac thought it was just a feeling. He thought he was just still shaken by Erica, Boyd and Kira’s absences. But then, he realized that his pack didn’t work anymore. “Work” in the sense that the packmates don’t have as much social interaction as they did before. They had been glued and strong and solidary. Everyone had their own roles in the pack, and everyone was active. They had lunch together at school, had training sessions together, had multiple reunions at Deaton’s or Scott or Stiles’ house. Isaac had to admit that that had been when there was something going on. An actual problem, that had actually revealed itself, in contrast to Erica and Boyd’s mysterious disappearances. They had faced Peter Hale, Gerard Argent, the Nogitsune possessing Stiles – and lost Allison on the way--Kate Argent, the Benefactor, the Dread Doctors and their chimeras, Theo Raeken’s pack and the Beast of Gévaudan and lastly, the Ghost Riders. Now, no one knew what had happened to Isaac’s best friends, but Isaac figured that no one really cared. He felt he was alone trying to find the answer to his non-ending questions.

He can’t sleep anymore. Well, he never really could have a good night’s sleep, especially considering the fact that he’s residing in his old abandoned house, home to all the nightmares Isaac has experienced during his traumatic childhood. Ghosts of his past, mainly his abusive father, prowl in the building whenever Isaac steps foot in it. His nights are spent trying to find a better position in bed or lying still eyes wide open. But recently Isaac had a better way to spend his spare nights; he would go for long walks in the alleys of Beacon Hills, exploring areas of the town he had never been in before. He wandered off in the Hale forest territory and even off of it. He mainly just wanted to use these moments to escape the sad reality of life.

How the hell did things turn out like this? Isaac asks himself as he opens the front door to his house. It’s already 1 in the morning, according to his watch. But as he continues to make his way inside, he feels like he shouldn’t be here tonight. He has an undeniable feeling he should be somewhere else. He looks at the shabby furniture around him, from the worn-out sofa to the rotting kitchen wood, and sees the unwelcoming door to his bedroom at the far-right corner. At this moment, he feels dread attacking him like it has never attacked him before, it suddenly just takes control of his body and Isaac feels sweat trickling down his forehead, his eyes are watering and his vision blurs dangerously. Before his feet have the time to let go, he rushes outside by the front door which he doesn’t even bother to close.

Isaac follows his intuition, and for once not his werewolf senses. His mind takes him in the middle of the forest, but somewhere off the Hale territory he’d never been before. He can hear the rushing of water in a nearby stream which means he must be somewhere in the north-east side of the forest. But still, his feet won’t stop moving.

The road to his unknown destination makes him think of Erica. In fact, his actual emplacement is not far from where he’d last caught her and Boyd’s scents. Where are you Erica? I wish you could just send me a sign of where you are, or just a sign of life. I need to know you’re alive. He has to admit that Erica’s disappearance was the one that weighed on him the most. Erica had been here for him from the very start of their werewolf life. She’d been supportive, comprehensive, empathetic, helpful, but mostly non-judgmental. He’d told her about his past and his abusive father, and she’d been more than a friend; she’d comforted him, and she’d help him heal a part of the scars his heart bared. Erica had also opened up for and to Isaac and told him about her traumas experienced at school. They’d never actually talked before getting their werewolf powers, but they knew each other by name. Isaac was no stranger to getting bullied, and neither was Erica, as she’d experienced multiple seizures because of her epilepsy that led to huge humiliation, destroying all her self-esteem. They both could relate and help each other mentally in a way Isaac had never experienced with anyone before, apart from his brother, Camden, before he’d gone in Afghanistan. Erica was at first sight, someone people could define as superficial and bitchy. Sure, she’d been kind of a bitch to Allison in the whole Gerard thing with Jackson’s Kanima dilemma, but Isaac knew she’d been desperate for attention. She’d experienced horrible things and had just tried living something new, especially now that she’d been given the chance. However, as the events throughout the whole Gerard thing passed by, she’d softened up considerably and had proven herself to be a valuable ally. She’d helped her pack and indirectly also Scott’s in ways Isaac couldn’t have thought of. She’d fought for the town’s safety and for her friends and her pack. Once you got to know her, you knew she was someone you couldn’t simply let go of. And Isaac regrets letting go of her as easily when she tried to flee the pack. He hates himself for not clinging onto her and being with her as she fled with Boyd. And now, she’s gone, and Isaac doesn’t know if he will ever see her again. Her too pretty eyes and her too pretty face are inked in Isaac’s mind, and it’s them he sees when he closes his eyes.

But he couldn’t go. Not with Scott in his sights. Scott has this way about him, that Isaac just can’t quite put a finger on. He’s got the attitude of a leader, of a real leader. Despite Derek’s good intentions, no one could genuinely say that Derek had been a good leader. Scott always found another alternative to hurting anyone or anything. That was his fundamental number one rule, the one he kept deep in his heart. He was always spreading hope as if it was contagious, he knew how to reassure people and his pack had absolute trust in him. For now, they weren’t that many; Scott, Isaac, Lydia and Stiles, and Kira had just left. But throughout Isaac’s whole experience as being part of the McCall pack, from Allison to very recently Malia and Liam that had left for good, he saw that Scott had gained full trust from everybody. He unleashed this aura, the aura of a strong, protective, and determined leader. He always found solutions to everything, dealt with problems with such agility and ease that Isaac didn’t know how he managed to have. He fought for what he valued, his pack, his friends, his family, his town, his breed and wouldn’t stop fighting until eventually, the problem was defeated. He kept himself ready for all kinds of problems, managed to keep his self-control steady, dealt with situations swiftly and everything turned out alright. Scott knew he had good allies, Deaton, Derek as an Omega, Satomi and her pack, Chris Argent, his mom Melissa, Sheriff Stilinski, Deputy Parrish, Meredith Walker, etc., the list is long, but the point is he always managed to gain help and always gave some back in return. Beacon Hills trusts Scott, because it knows that he is in his rightful place, that he’s been through a lot and always comes back alive. Isaac thought that he was the man Beacon Hills needed. Isaac hasn’t gone yet because he feels safe with Scott, and the first months where they were all fighting alongside were the best months of his life; he’d felt alive.

But these last 4 months have been quite a twist for Isaac. He doesn’t even know if he’s still part of Scott’s pack anymore, or if the pack exists anymore. As far as Isaac knows, he isn’t the only one feeling that. He’s at the end of his junior year and exams are nearly all finished and still he can’t see any of his packmates together. In fact, they all seem off. Scott is easily found in the sports field, practicing lacrosse alone, something Isaac knew he used to do with Stiles. Lydia doesn’t the hallways anymore like she used to, she isn’t surrounded by millions of other friends of hers. In fact, she strolls down the corridors her head tilted towards her feet, eyes not even focused on something. Stiles is the worst though; often lurking in the alleyways of the library, with a book in his hand. He’s got huge bags under his eyes, his hair is all greasy and untidy and he keeps biting his nails continuously. The boy used to radiate such positive energy and good vibes, jokes and laughter had become a daily thing with Stiles. Even though Isaac knew they weren’t that close and didn’t particularly like each other that much, Isaac could have considered him as a friend. He could have considered everyone as his friend. Now? He doesn’t know. He feels lonely and abandoned as ever.

Isaac trips on a branch ripping him out of his reverie. He had reached a high cliff overlooking the city of Beacon Hills. It was a rather large city, 20000 people residing in it according to Sheriff Stilinski, but Isaac thought that he liked it. It wasn’t too big or too small, and was rather isolated from other cities, being located in a huge valley. Just when he was overlooking the thousands of small city lights, he feels something drip on his lips. Blood. Since Erica and Boyd both disappeared, Isaac has been getting terrible nosebleeds. One every week, he’d say. He takes out a tissue from his pocket and cleans himself and tries to stop the blood from pouring too much. Just as the blood stops running, something strange happens. 

It starts to rain, but when Isaac looks closely, he could see that it rains only on top of the Beacon Hills territory. He knows where the limit is, it isn’t far from where he is, and strangely, the rain stops just right at the limit. Isaac also noticed that there are no clouds, the stars in the clear sky are still very visible. The rain somehow also feels thicker than just water, and it isn’t until he looks at his hands that he realizes that the rain is as black as ink. He starts to feel slightly panicked, understanding the gravity of the situation. This is abnormal. This is not something that happens every day. Something’s wrong.

“Isaac?” comes a familiar voice from behind him. He turns around to see a soaking wet Derek, brows furrowed in concern and eyes studying the strange scene.

“Derek? What are you doing here?” Isaac answers cautiously.

“A strong scent led me here.” He pauses and waits.

“Me too. Have you seen this? Derek, what the hell is this? What’s happening?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen this before. But I don’t think it’s a good plan to stay here. We’d better run, Isaac, I don’t think this a good sign at all.”

They begin running together, trying to retrace their steps until they can find shelter in the city, as the immensity of the forest is drowning them. They run as fast as their feet can take them, their werewolf instinct coming over. Isaac actually likes that, it’s been a long time since he’d ran that fast with his werewolf form. But right now, his heart is pounding violently in his chest, the rain still haunting his mind. If Derek doesn’t know what is going on, then who would? What did this abnormal blackness of the rain mean? Why were there no clouds? Why did the rain stop at the limit of Beacon Hills’ territory? This was no normal rain, Isaac figured that. He also figured that, like Derek said, this was not a good sign. This was a supernatural event, and by experience he knew that they always weren’t good. This rain had a meaning, if not a warning or a bad-natured doing.

They finally re-enter the city area, rain still pouring over their cold bodies.

“Isaac! I think we’d better head to Deaton’s, he’s the only one that can answer us!” Derek shouted from where ahead he was. The rain was making a lot of noise, and it took some time for Isaac to understand what Derek was saying.

He nods and continues running, Derek still leading the way. After all, he knows the way to the vet’s better than Isaac does. Finally, the building comes into view and they head straight for the door. It had been left unlocked and the lights are still on inside. As they step inside, they see how the rain is still falling inside the building. Everywhere. The floor is flooded, and the walls are painted black. How could the rain go through roof and walls? As they entered the surgical room, they find the body of Alan Deaton, lying unconscious on the floor.

Before they can do anything, Isaac feels himself swaying. He looks at Derek and watches him fall to the ground, knocked out. He turns around and sees no one. They are completely alone.

And then, it’s his turn. His mind plunges into darkness as Isaac collapses onto the flooded floor.


	2. Chapter 2

“Isaac! Wake up! Isaac! Isaac!”

Isaac feels himself being torn away from his sleep as the voice grows louder. He opens his eyes with great difficulty and blinks a few times. He feels extremely cold, he’s shivering like hell and he looks as pale as snow. His head is also throbbing, like it could burst open anytime. He also has a familiar metallic taste on his lips. As his vision begins to refocus, he distinguishes none other than Derek and Alan crouching beside him, wearing very concerned expressions that Isaac judges as exaggerated and unnecessary – after all, why are they waking him up, he had just been sleeping, right? Wait … in the animal clinic?

“Are you okay? How are you feeling?” Deaton asks, already opening various closets to find what he’s looking for. “Eat, it will make you feel better.” He says, holding out a piece of chocolate. Isaac is reluctant to eat it, because he thinks he would just throw up, but eventually he eats it, and a warm and pleasuring feeling spreads in him.

“Do you remember anything from last night? Or technically, this morning, if my memories are correct.” Derek questions, while helping Isaac to stand up and keep his balance.

“Well …” and suddenly Isaac realizes he hadn't gone to bed at home, like any other night.In fact, he has no memory of any of the night’s events, least of all going to Deaton’s. He feels dread attacking him like a poison and his heart races. Ever since his childhood, Isaac has had a terrible fear for closed space and blackouts. The thought of losing his memory and not remembering a period of time, whether small or big, scared him as much as being enclosed and locked in a small space. He takes deep breaths and tries to regain control of his emotions, careful not to spill his fears in front of other people. He looks back at Derek, and understands he isn’t the only one having no memory of last night. “Derek, I don’t remember anything. The last thing I remember is …” He racks his mind for the last memory or sight that comes to him. “Is leaving my house and following a scent. I think it took me too the forest but I’m … not sure.”

Derek turns around and exchanges grave looks with Deaton. “We’ll have to talk about this to the rest of Scott’s pack, because all three of us not remembering anything from last night is not normal. We were all awake at 1 am or so, and I know that because the last thing I remember is following a scent too, and finding you, Isaac, in a very deep area in the forest, at about 1:30. Which means we were following the same scent if we ended up together in the exact same spot in all 300 acres of forest.”

“Wait, why do you remember something that I don’t? Are you sure of that?” Isaac asks.

“That, is I suspect, only a question of personal strength of memory. Memory and the ability to remember well things, or not, is completely personal.” Deaton speaks up from his current position in the room.

Isaac turns around and sees a mirror next to Deaton and goes to look at himself. He’s a mess, his hair is as messy and curly as ever, his skin is as pale as snow and there’s dried blood from his nose to his chin. “What do you remember, Alan?” he asks.

“I actually remember everything from last night, and even falling to the ground. I was finishing tidying everything up when I heard a strange and heavy dripping, and then I suspect I was knocked out. However, you both weren’t here with me and I was alone. Or, more specifically, I thought I was alone.” He seemed to be deep in his thoughts and finally looked up. “Something or someone knocked me out. Knocked us all out. But the real question is; what attacked us and for what purpose?”

“And why did we come and see you above all people at 1 in the morning? No offense, it’s not that we don’t like you but …” Isaac wonders.

He earns the usual deadly glare from Derek and a bemused smile from Deaton.

“Alan, I still find it strange that we all have such different memories from last night. Last time I looked at my watch, which isn’t working anymore by the way, it was 1:23, and that was when I found Isaac, in the forest. And you say it was 1:24, in your clinic, when you last checked? But the time for us to get here from the forest is about 15 minutes by feet. Which means you were supposedly knocked out at 1:25 or so and us at 1:40.” Derek clearly has a theory.

“What do you think then, Derek?”

“I think this isn’t just coincidental. I think that whatever caused us to be knocked out, wiped our memories and not yours for some specific reason.”

“Wait, let me get this straight, something caused all three of us to be knocked out at the same place, but at different times. Derek’s memory and mine were wiped for approximately 15 minutes, from the point where we met in the forest to us being here. Why was our memory wiped and not yours, Alan, if we were knocked out by the same thing? I mean, Derek’s right, this time it isn’t just about strength of memory, we can’t have both no memory of a period of time, while you do. Something happened to us that didn’t happen to you, Alan, even though, sure, we were knocked out by the same thing.”

“Maybe. But for now, your best chances on finding answers are by going back to the place you met. You both followed the same scent, and that’s your first start, maybe this scent has to do something with your condition.” Deaton says, giving off a grave aura.

“Isaac, we’ll also need to talk to Scott and the others about this.” Derek says.

“Sure, but right now, I need food.” Isaac replies, feeling too cold and dizzy for any immediate action. “Derek, you have my number and I have yours, I’ll give you a call when I’m feeling ready. Alan, I’ll see you around I guess, and thanks for the chocolate.”

He turns from the others and leaves through the back door, thinking to himself ‘What could this mean?’

Turns out it wasn’t quite already lunchtime when he left the animal clinic but still needed food. He walks to a Wendy’s in town, not too far away from the animal clinic and orders his menu. He pays for it with the little amount of cash he has on him. It’s the small bit of cash he had inherited after his father’s death. He’d received the house, which, even though he was still a minor, he’d been allowed to stay in, as he has nowhere else to go. He has also received a lot of money from his dad and mom combined. He doesn’t need it yet, but he figures it will come in very handy at one point in his life. He mainly uses it for paying his meals and phone bill, he doesn’t use that much water or heat and tries to use as little electricity as he can. He doesn’t eat anything in the morning anymore, because everyday when he wakes up he doesn’t feel like eating, surely not after having as horrible nights as the ones he has. He knows it’s bad for him, and that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but he can’t. He tries but can’t. Lunch is eaten 5 days out of 7 at school, which he is grateful for, as the food is not that bad and healthy enough. For dinner, he would usually just grab something in town, in a fast food, or in a not too expensive restaurant, but Beacon Hills has the advantage of proposing very diverse food, so Isaac likes changing food origins, from Mexican, to local, to Creole, to Chinese, to Indian, to French.

As he walks out of the building with his stomach full, Isaac decides to go for a quick run in a quiet and nice district in town, just to clear his mind. His headache has completely worn off, but weirdly enough, he still doesn’t feel right. It was as if there’s something at the back of his mind that’s nagging him, but he can’t figure out what it is. His mind wanders to last night’s mysterious events. He wonders if these events could have some relation with Erica’s (and Boyd’s) disappearance. Part of him hopes so, part of him doesn’t. To be completely honest, Isaac doesn’t know how to feel. He knows there’s something going on, and that it’s bad. But the lack of information on what the hell’s going on is pretty disturbing. He wonders why Derek and him had their memories erased, while Deaton remembers everything, why they had ended up at Deaton’s, which scent they had followed, and who or what knocked them out and most of all, why.

It isn’t a particularly sunny day, in fact it’s quite cloudy, and the sun is nowhere to be seen. Isaac was never disturbed by bad weather, he thought the sun was always too bright. “Bad” weather gave the town a calm and steady atmosphere, it also gave it a new aspect; a mysterious, melancholic aspect, quite different from the way the sun presents the town.

He watches the pedestrians all around him as he walks to his house. Some are rushed, traversing the streets quickly, but a lot are slow.. Some are seen walking or running hand in hand, smiles pasted on their faces, refusing to disappear. Some laugh loudly amongst themselves, chatting excitedly while sipping a soda or eating food. But some radiate sadness. Pure and bleak sadness. Isaac thinks he isn’t the only one dealing with certain issues, he thinks he isn’t the only one not living up to his expectations. But right now, he doesn’t have any friends to share that with. He’d always been a loner before he’d been introduced to the supernatural anyways.

Once he finally arrives home, Isaac goes straight to his bedroom and nauseously opens the closet were his clothes are stashed. He changes into sports clothes and quickly shuts the door behind him. The less time he spends in that cursed room, the better it will be. He grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and leaves the house, not noticing the strange eyes fixed on him from the far-end window.

He heads for the beginning of his running track, located in a small, more rural part of town. In fact, not far from Scott and Stiles’ house. Once he’s arrived, he leaves his bottle of water in a bush so that he can take it back once he’s finished running a lap. If he feels like it, he can re-do the loop, but most of the time he prefers stopping there and doing something else instead. He begins running, and just as he has only ran 50 meters or so, he happens to bump into someone. He hadn’t been looking, watching his feet on the ground instead as he felt a very strong body hit his, surprising him and knocking him on the ground.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Comes the familiar voice from above him. He sees a hand being held and takes it and heaves himself back up.

“No, it was me, I wasn’t looking in front of me, sorry.” Isaac replies, finally getting a good look at his interlocutor.

“Isaac?” “Scott?” They say almost simultaneously. They stare at each other for 5 seconds more and Scott decides to make the first move.

“How are you? Sorry I didn’t recognize you before. You look …different.”

“I’m fine. Do I really look that bad?” Isaac answers, bemused.

“Nah, you look alright don’t worry. You’ve grown your hair a little and well … you’ve gotten taller I’d say.” Scott says, a slight frown forming on his face.

“Yeah, it’s been way too long since we’ve talked, Scott.” Isaac replies, knowing they’re heading for a touchy subject.

They pause and look at each other, both of their sad expressions replacing words. It’d been so long since he’d had an interaction with someone of his age. Scott looks more fit, but Isaac guessed that’s from all the lacrosse he does. Isaac had quit, not having the motivation like he used to. Upon closer inspection of Scott’s face, he looks pretty bad, he has small bags under his eyes and he’s badly shaved. Isaac supposes he must look quite the same. His eyes have changed too, not in their color or their usual shape, but Scott used to have a sort of sparkle in his eyes. A sparkle of confidence and liveliness. Now his eyes look tired and somber.

“Derek texted me telling me something’s happened to both of you. I was actually going to take my motorcycle and visit you.” Scott breaks the silence.

“Oh yeah. I’d completely forgot. Then let’s head for the forest. Let me just text Derek and ask him to meet us there.” Isaac says while taking his phone out and sending a text to Derek, saying ‘I just found Scott, we’re heading to the forest, meet us nearby the Magnolia?’

“So, can I hop on?” Isaac grins, as Scott hands him his helmet. “Wait, no, you’re not giving me your helmet, no way. You keep yours and I’ll be just fine.”

“No, you’re putting mine on, there’s no way I’m risking you getting hurt, not when I just found you again.” Scott insists, eyes grave but genuine. Isaac puts the helmet on, touched by Scott’s concern for him, something that hasn’t changed. He mounts the motorcycle behind Scott and locks his arms around Scott’s body.

At that moment he could have sworn he hadn’t felt that good in ages. During the whole way to the forest, Isaac feels safe and protected, a feeling he had gotten used to when being around Scott. A feeling he was above happy to rediscover, even though he wishes it could have been sooner. He holds tight on Scott’s warm body,feeling his muscles tighten through his t-shirt. He can’t say he likes it, but he doesn’t dislike it either. It feels comfortable and right, and Scott’s scent is a scent he also had been familiar with, and smelling it brings him back all sorts of memories. They’re the best memories he’s ever had, they’re the ones that give him a sense of belonging, among his pack and his family and friends. He had felt loved and cared for, something he had been cruelly missing since his mother’s death. Riding the motorcycle with Scott also brings back a very familiar sense, a sense of adventure and freedom. The sense you get when you’re up for adventure and you just know it’s going to be epic. You feel alive more than ever, and it’s that particular sense that makes you human. It’s mixed with the sensation of freedom and recklessness, like there’s nothing holding you back or weighing you down from living your life. Isaac lets himself be transported by all these lost emotions as Scott transports them to the forest.

Finally, the forest comes into view and Scott parks his motorcycle near a tree. He locks it to the tree and stares back at Isaac.

“You good to go? How was the ride?” He asks.

“I’ve never enjoyed a ride so much. And that’s not even sarcastic. Let’s go.” Isaac replies, watching the curious face Scott makes by his comment.

They enter the forest and Isaac leads the way, as he is the only one who knows the way to the Magnolia tree. He checks his phone and sees Derek has replied; ‘Already there.’

“You seem to be sure of yourself. You really know where we’re going?” Scott notes.

“Yeah, I do, actually. I’m starting to know this forest by heart. We’re heading to a small Magnolia tree, situated at the center of the forest, but at the east edge of the Hale territory. I wanted us to meet there because I felt like it was a good starting point to find what we’re looking for.”

“What are you looking for?” Scott asks.

From that, Isaac begins telling the whole story of what happened last night. He tells Scott how they were following a strong scent and apparently met in the forest. He tells him how they ended up somehow at Deaton’s but were all knocked out. He tells him how they figured out that they weren’t knocked out at the same time but surely by the same thing. He tells him how his and Derek’s memories were wiped, but not Deaton’s for some reason. He explains that they had to know if anything of the sort happened to anyone before, but Scott doesn’t remember anything like that happening to him. Isaac also finished by explaining that right now they’re going to be trying to retrace the strong scent they followed, their only lead to find out what happened.

“And none of you can remember anything at all? Not even glimpses of memories or something like that?” Scott asks curiously, once Isaac’s done.

“No, well, I certainly can’t. The last thing I remember is leaving my house and entering the forest.” Isaac pauses and replays the conversation with Derek and Deaton in his head. “Wait, Deaton said he heard some sort of … heavy dripping.”

The two boys stop in their walking and turn around and look at each other, as if they hoped studying each other visually would give them some answers. Isaac doesn’t feel good about this, at all. He still has that feeling in his head that some memory has been erased and that feeling makes him anxious. He knows that what’s happening is really bad, and Isaac can’t shove off the thought lingering in his head that it could eventually lead to discovering Erica and Boyd’s deaths, and just thinking about that makes him even more sick. He closes his eyes and takes deep breaths, trying to steady his emotions. He swallows hard, but his mouth has gone dry. He curls his hands into fists and digs his nails into his skin, thinking it could bring back his normal senses. 

But all at once he feels a soft hand cupping his face and another hand holding firmly his arm. He opens his eyes and finds a very close Scott watching him with anxious eyes. His whole facial expression looks worried, from his eyebrows to his tightly shut mouth. But his reassuring touch gives Isaac exactly what he needs. Security, protection, consolation and shelter. It brings him strength and hope, and Isaac knows that Scott has a certain talent for spreading those feelings. The touch is magic, a promise that ‘it’s going to be okay.’ Scott’s simple touch consoled Isaac, controlling the emotions that were threatening to get out of hand.

“Hey.” Scott whispers as if the whole forest wanted to listen, but Scott only wanted Isaac to hear. “I’m here. Calm down. Everything’s fine.” He gets even closer to Isaac and their faces are only inches from each other. Isaac’s whole body has soothed down, and he’s regained control of himself. Scott’s eyes are dazzling, and Isaac thinks he sees for a second the sparkle they had lost.

“Here, come here.” Scott hums quietly, bringing him into a big hug. Isaac feels Scott’s strong arms around his body and he can only bring himself to do the same. He’s never received a hug like that, a hug as comforting and warming as Scott’s. Not even from his mother. His mother’s were full of love and affection, but didn’t have that sort of comfort, support and solidarity. Time stops for a moment, and Isaac feels himself sinking into Scott’s embrace.

“Thanks.” Is all Isaac manages to say once they’ve parted, but Scott’s eyes still rest on his.

“You know, I never meant to fade away from everybody like that. After Kira’s left I just felt so lonely and so … ‘unloved’. It only became worse when I lost you guys, and I realized I’d lost the other people who loved me. I was drowning in this sort of nonchalance and my only escape from the sad reality of things was lacrosse. I’ve never regretted something more. I’m so sorry Isaac.” He looks devastated and Isaac understands that he isn’t the only one these last 6 months have done harm to. He doesn’t need to use his werewolf senses to know that he’s never seen Scott seeming so heartbroken yet so genuine. “This last month has been the worst though. I realized I can’t make it out without you guys. You’re all my family. And I haven’t been able to sleep, or concentrate properly, or even do something useful without my family.”

“Hey. Scott. Don’t worry. We’re all responsible for this. This isn’t just you. This is all of us.” Isaac feels like it’s his turn to reassure Scott and lays his hand on his shoulder. “If you want to know, I feel exactly the same. I’ve never felt so left out and forgotten. I know it surely wasn’t intentional, but I still couldn’t enjoy anything anymore, considering the fact that I had literally nobody, not even my parents or anyone. And if you add Erica in this it only gets worse, okay? So don’t blame yourself, Scott. We’re in this together.” Isaac catches a smile on Scott’s lips and smiles back.

“Guys.” Comes a voice from in front of them. Isaac turns around and starts laughing when he realizes they’d reached the magnolia without even knowing it. Derek, though, looks unimpressed and annoyed. Not that it changes anything from his usual self actually. “What took you so long?”

Scott and Isaac look at each other with small smiles to their lips and Scott replies “We had some catching up to do. Did you find anything?”

“No. The magnolia tree was just a starting point because Isaac doesn’t know where to go. Now we’re heading to a small stream in the north-east corner of the map.”

“Um, Derek, you could have just told me that, I know where that is.” Isaac pipes up.

The two boys turn around and stare at Isaac with puzzled looks and Derek is the first to ask “Why would you know it?”

“Let’s just say the forest has become my second home. Once I’m done with school I usually come her over the weekends.”

“Why not just go back to your house?” Scott asks, looking more than bewildered.

“Some personal issues. Can we go now?” Isaac presses on, not wanting to answer that question.

Scott and Derek look at each other and the latter wordlessly begins to lead the way. Isaac follows close behind him but ends up next to him, Scott tailing behind them.

“Still finding it difficult to cope with the memories that house brings back?” Derek whispers to Isaac, so that Scott cannot hear them. Of course, Derek figured it out. After all, it was Derek that bit him and he had been supposedly in his pack for about 3 months until he just wasn’t part of it anymore, feeling more in his rightful place in Scott’s pack. Somewhere he feels a little responsible for Derek’s current status as an Omega werewolf, since Erica and Boyd aren’t here anymore and Isaac left Derek, but he reminds himself that he hadn’t quit Derek’s pack intentionally, things just went naturally. Anyways, Derek had known about his abusive and crazy father, and his loss of his mother and brother. It was him that had sheltered Isaac during a month or two, before kicking him out - although to protect him from the Alpha pack - and leaving him no choice but to stay at his old house. Isaac knew his intentions were good and that behind this very emotionless feature of him, he actually cared and valued a lot of things, a had a big heart. To be honest Isaac thinks Derek’s gotten better at expressing his feelings, dropping the facade and letting people know the real him. Just the fact that Derek’s asked him shows that he still cares about Isaac, and that warms his heart up.

“I don’t know, I guess so.” Isaac mumbles.

Derek studies him for an instant and sighs. Isaac knows he’s not convinced of his answer but drops the topic anyway.

“Why haven’t I seen you around then, if you’re spending so much time in the forest?”

“I try to not explore the Hale territory too much, because I know you’re hostile to foreign intrusion, and since it represents only a quarter of the total surface of the forest, there’s plenty of other places to go.” Isaac explains, thinking of the story Stiles had told him about wandering in the Hale territory.

“Isaac you’re surely not ‘foreign’, I hope you understand that. You can go in the Hale territory if you like”. It’s moments like these where Isaac realizes Derek has dropped the act and reveals his true colors.

“No, Derek, it’s okay you – “

“Isaac, I mean it. I couldn’t be a good mentor or a good alpha to you, I couldn’t even offer you shelter, I couldn’t even be there for you and offer support when you needed it. It’s not very much, but at least accept that.” Derek says very firmly before adding, when he sees Isaac doesn’t answer, “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Isaac sees the honesty in his words and is forever grateful to still have people who care about him. Isaac gives a smile as his answer to Derek’s offer.

They continue walking in the woods, the forest growing denser and denser after each step they take. They walk with a certain calmness, Isaac finally leading the way and the two boys following him. They concentrate on any senses or sounds that could be relevant to the ‘case’ and at one point, after trekking for about 30 minutes they hear the distant rushing of the stream. They stop in their tracks and look back at each other.

“We’ve found the stream, but the place where I found Isaac is still farther, let’s keep going.” Derek says, taking a step ahead.

Soon a small stream comes into view. Isaac takes advantage of it to drink. They continue walking, this time Derek guiding them through the thickness of the forest, and the two other boys are a little behind. At some point Isaac realizes that Scott is slightly behind him, and when he looks back at Scott, it seems as if he looked elsewhere on purpose. Scott looks kind of worried, and Isaac would even say he looked sad. His eyes are sparkling, his nose keeps twitching and Isaac notices Scott takes huge gulps. Using his supernatural hearing, Isaac also notices that Scott’s heartbeat is quite fast.

“Hey, what’s wrong? You okay dude?” Isaac asks, concerned.

“No... it’s okay Isaac. Keep going, don’t worry about it.” Scott brushes off.

Isaac tells himself he’ll ask later, when Derek’s not around and when they don’t have something important to do. Derek doesn’t seem to notice them and keeps moving, his whole body concentrated on sensing his surroundings.

At some point, not too far away from the stream, they arrive at a sort of cliff, quite high and overlooking the city of Beacon Hills. The three boys stay silent for a while, admiring the view. Isaac can see the entire territory. He can recognize certain buildings and houses and hear sirens, buses, the rushing of people and other common city noises. For a moment, he has a fleeting feeling of déjà-vu. 

Suddenly, Derek’s eyes go bright blue, and he begins to growl, as if sensing danger.

“Derek, what is it?” Isaac looks around but sees nothing in particular.

“Can’t you smell it? This smell ...”

Isaac scrunches up his nose and concentrates on his smelling and eventually sniffs a very strange smell. He cannot describe it properly but the smell is soon so dense and so harsh that Isaac has difficulty breathing. It’s a smell that resembles the smell there is after rain has fallen but here it’s much worse. It also heavily smells like raw metal, a smell Isaac surprises himself by recognizing so clearly. The whole of it invades Isaac’s nostrils and it’s the only thing he can smell. He looks back at Scott and Derek and both of them seem to be experiencing the same things as him. Their features are tense and their faces show repulsion, Scott’s mouth is tightly shut whereas Derek’s is as usual slightly open.

“Guys? Where does the smell come from?” Scott sniffs the air.

Both Derek and Isaac seem incapable of telling. The smell is just monopolizing all their smelling senses and Isaac finds himself a little confused. The smell seems to come from everywhere around him and he hopes it won’t affect his senses too much.

“Okay, let’s spread out. We’ll be better off separately. Look for anything. Just howl when you’ve found something.” Derek orders, already heading right.

Isaac and Scott nod to each other and part ways. Isaac heads for left and Scott goes for behind them, retracing their steps. He stalks the woods, walking steadily but safely. His eyes dart anywhere they can, they study the trees, the ground, the sky, the falling leaves. His ears twitch at any sound they hear, but often the only sounds that pierce the loud silence are twigs breaking under Isaac’s feet. He stops, resting his hands on a tree, caressing it, hoping it would do something to him give him any sign that may have a link with the mysterious events. He continues walking, searching, occasionally stopping, touching his surroundings, brushing the ground with his hands. He inhales, tries to ban the evil smell from his nose but nothing works. At one point, Isaac sits down, sighs and lets himself study the woods around him. His back is pressed on a nearby tree and the tree’s leaves are especially low. He looks at them and plays with them. Just when he was going to stand up and continue searching, his eyes rest on a single leaf on his right side and gives it a quick look before standing up. He begins walking and takes a few steps when he realizes what he’s just seen. He rushes back to the tree and studies the leaf.

An extremely black drop of liquid was on the tip of the leaf. Isaac doesn’t know if this is actually something to be taken in consideration but the liquid intrigues him. He’s never seen a liquid as black as that. It literally sucks out any form of light. He takes a few steps back, opens his mouth and growls a loud, penetrating howl, to signal his location to the other boys.

Scott is the first to arrive, as quick as a flash. He rushes to Isaac, looking very concerned and surveying him.

“Are you okay? Did anything happen to you?” Scott manages to say.

“Scott, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me too much. I found something though.” Isaac says, pointing at the leaf.

“Did you touch it?” Derek’s voice comes from behind, surprising them both.

“Dude, no. Have you seen how black it is? It could be something bad.” Isaac answers.

“Does anyone have any idea on how we can get the drop back to the animal cli-” Scott begins, leaving his question unanswered, cutting himself off to watch the action taking place in front of him.

The leaf seemed to have absorbed the drop all at once. The liquid spread into the leaf, into its veins. And then, the leaf was just drained of its color. It became as black as the liquid that it had drank and fell suddenly to the ground.

“Okay. So that’s something we could call abnormal.” Isaac states as Derek picks the leaf up.

They stay in silence for a little while, the leaf captivating them and their attention.

“It’s nearly nightfall, we should go.” Derek notes after recalling that his watch doesn’t work anymore, having read the wrong time on it. “I’ll pass by Deaton’s to give him the leaf and see if he knows anything about it. You guys should go rest, and I’m sure we’ll meet very soon anyways. This isn’t over.”

“Wait, Derek. Could that be the same liquid in your watch?” Scott asks.

The three boys stare, bewildered, at the broken watch, enclosing a tiny drop of the black liquid.

“This is just getting weirder and weirder. Now at least we know the black liquid has something to do with what happened to us, Derek.” Isaac understands.

They pass the rest of the way back talking casually, but Derek is, as usual, the most silent. Isaac likes talking casually, especially to people he likes. He appreciates the company of both boys, even though Derek is … well Derek. He feels normal for once, chatting away about nothing in particular. He thinks he could have passed the whole night like this, the feeling too good to let go of. When they at last get out of the forest, they all look at each other expectantly.

Derek is the first to speak. “Thanks for your help. I’ll see you around soon and keep in touch. Stay safe.” He pauses and fixes them intensely. “Both of you.” And he leaves, his form blending in with the night shadows.

Scott and Isaac look at each other for a long moment before Scott asks, “So, I know it’s been a while, but do you want to hang out tonight? Grab something in town… and then you could come home? I’d like to catch up with you.” He looks eagerly at Isaac, and he seems very genuine.

“Hell yeah.” Is what Isaac gives as a reply, a smirk forming on his lips.

They ride to town on Scott’s motorcycle, Isaac loving the ride as much as the first one. They stop by at a sushi restaurant Isaac had never been to, surprisingly. They pick their dishes and just as Isaac gets out money he had in his pocket to pay, Scott holds out his hand.

“Dude, I’m paying.” Scott affirms.

“No way, you can’t just-”

“Isaac. I’m paying. You’re my guest. I’ve just got you back and I’m paying.” Scott cuts in, insisting. His facial features all show sincerity. His eyebrows slightly frowned, lips tight, eyes fierce and impassive. Isaac remembers this expression well. Scott has always had this sincerity about him, and this ability to touch people around him with his reliability.

“You really don’t have to.” Isaac reluctantly tucks back in his money.

“But I want to.” Scott replies, giving the money to the cashier. He takes the dishes they ordered and they exit the restaurant silently.

“Wanna go home?” Scott asks.

“You mean my home? No, no, no, I’d prefer yours.” Isaac ushers on, not wanting to go back to his house yet, not after having such a good a time.

Scott gives him a shy smile and they both hop on his motorcycle and head to his house. Isaac thinks that he could get used to these rides if he hangs out with Scott regularly. The ride is short but once again manages to set Isaac free of any thoughts. He lets his hands play with the wind and lets go of Scott’s waist. He laughs lightly through the raging wind, and apparently Scott seems to have heard him and reciprocates the laugh.

“Dude! I’ve never felt so good in ages!” Isaac cries from behind.

Through the small mirror he glimpses a wide and luminous grin, a genuine and heartfelt smile. Scott accelerates even more, and Isaac quickly holds back onto Scott’s waist, his new source of security. Isaac watches the lights in the deserted streets as they rush past them blurrily. The wind blows in his face but the air isn’t freezing, a soft breeze, and he finds that he actually loves the feeling. They quickly arrive at what Isaac knows to be the McCall front yard and he notes that a car is parked in the entry, meaning that Melissa has finished working. He’d been to Scott’s house once or twice, for pack meetings, but never for hanging out. His runs also did help since he knew the district by heart.

“You’re sure it’s okay for me to come?” Isaac asks, unsure.

“Of course, dude, my mom will be exhausted but she won’t mind you at all.” Scott reassures. “If you knew the amount of times Stiles has come here … I think she’d actually be glad I invite someone over since …” He trails off, a wistful look on his face. Isaac immediately feels guilt in the pit of his stomach. They enter the house and everything suddenly smells so good. The smell they smelt in the forest hadn’t faded away even as they arrived in front of Scott’s house, and now he is filled with pleasuring aromas of food, of fresh laundry, of wood, but generally the smell of a family. Isaac inhales deeply as memories of his family come flooding in his mind. He contains his emotions in his chest and follows Scott into the living room, where Melissa is eating a salad, watching a TV show. As she sees Isaac, her tired face shows surprise, before it completely lights up and she gets up to greet them both.

“Hi boys! Welcome back, Isaac.” She hugs him tightly and studies him from top to bottom, her hands still clutching to Isaac’s shoulders. “A little pale, a little skinny, but just as handsome. Make yourself at home.”

Isaac feels overwhelmed by such happiness that he stutters, “Th-thanks Melissa.”

“How was work?” Scott asks from the kitchen, pouring water into two glasses.

“Not so bad actually. There were only minor accidents today, like small car crashes or sprained ankles. Oh, and Noah came by, he was investigating on Erica Reyes and Vernon Boyd’s disappearances.” Scott and Isaac look at each other with worry. Scott knows that Erica and Boyd is touchy subject for Isaac and he gives him a warm smile from where he stands. “He wanted to know if we’d found any unnamed corpses or anything to do with them. Fortunately, and unfortunately, we haven’t.”

“Melissa, may I ask why Sheriff Stilinski was investigating disappearances a year after the events?” Isaac wonders.

“Erica Reyes’ parents, even though divorced, have together recently claimed a reopening of the case, as it was abandoned and nothing followed.” Melissa explains, holding out the glass of water to Isaac Scott had passed her. He drinks it all in one go and feels refreshed. “Anyway, you bought Sushi, I see? Tell me if you need anything, but I think I won’t stay up too long, I’m exhausted.”

“Thanks mom.” Scott bends over and kisses her forehead before leading the way to his bedroom. Isaac loves the way they are together and it reminds him of himself and his mother, back when she was still alive.

They scale the stairs together and Scott opens his bedroom door for Isaac. He enters his small, luminous bedroom, all lights on, his bed messy, his clothes more or less tidy. His desk is on the right corner, whereas his bed is on the top left corner, next to his window and facing his closet. As soon as he steps foot in the room, Isaac instantly smells the most wonderful smell he’s ever smelt before, both in his human and werewolf lives. It doesn’t smell fresh laundry, or salivating food. Isaac can’t properly describe what he smells but he’s suddenly filled with a sense of peace and safety. It smells like comfort and familial love. It smells like a home. Isaac’s facial features begin to relax immediately and he feels like staying here forever.

“You okay?” Asks Scott, a small amused smile on his face.

“Oh … yeah. Sorry, I was just, um - day dreaming.” Isaac reopens his eyes, not even remembering when he closed them.

They crash on the bed and Isaac is surprised to see Scott draw out a small and old TV from the room next door. He puts it on a small nightstand and Scott plugs the cables.

“You may think the TV is ridiculous, but I actually love it. My mom bought it like 10 years ago. She knew Stiles had one and we both loved movies and video games so much, so for my 9th birthday or so, she bought it. And now I just can’t bring myself to get another one. It’s starting to get quite old though. It doesn’t receive cable channels or anything, but we can play video games, and it reads DVDs and VHS. And I happen to have a ton of those.” Scott opens his closet and Isaac remarks a space in separation with the clothes, reserved for DVDs and VHS tapes. “What do you want to watch?”

At first, they debate on the very first Batman movies, but then Scott proposes the old classic James Bond’s with Sean Connery. They go through the Terminator movies, the Breakfast Club, Star Wars and even consider watching Hairspray the musical.

“Wait, is this the entire Harry Potter collection?” Isaac asks incredulously.

“Yeah dude. Harry Potter is my entire childhood.” Scott reaches for the collection, stashed together in the far corner of the closet.

“Okay, then go for the first one Scott.” Isaac says, settling himself on his belly on Scott’s bed. Scott inserts the VHS tape into the player and returns next to Isaac, in the same position.

As the film goes on, the two boys share their common love for the series. They talk about the books, about the movies, about the characters, about the intrigue, about the school, about the music, about everything. They enjoy the film while eating their sushi, and Isaac’s eaten all of his in about 10 minutes. The film goes by and when the credits roll, Scott turns himself on his back and looks back at Isaac.

“You’re definitely a Hufflepuff.”

“Seriously? Why do you think so?”

“Well … You’re super loyal, kind and endearing. You’re completely non-judgmental and very open-minded, and you value your friends above all.”

Isaac processes what he’s just heard and thinks it’s one of the best things he’s heard about himself. He also thinks that Scott is just right about him. He wouldn’t go as far as saying he’s super kind (because he kind of was a dick with everyone when he first became a werewolf) but he knows where his loyalties lie. One of the few things he can say he’s proud of is his open-mind, something he’s got from his mom, in complete divergence to his dad’s small-mind. He beams at Scott, who smiles back.

“I’d say you’re a Gryffindor then.”

“Yeah, I saw that coming.” Scott eyerolls.

“You don’t like Gryffindor?”

“No, no, I do. It’s just my least favorite house. I don’t know, I just feel like everyone is in that house because Harry, Ron and Hermione are all in Gryffindor. It’s like the house you choose by default. But don’t worry, I already know the Sorting Hat would have put me in Gryffindor anyway.” He pulls out the VHS from the TV and switches it off. “I realized I was a Gryffindor when Stiles explained it to me, but what is your version?”

“Um … I’d say you fight for what you value. Your friends, your family, your future, your town. You never give up, and I honestly don’t know how you do it. When we were working together against the supernatural, you always found a way to leave no one behind and to save everyone. You took risks, you fought and you assumed the consequences. You kinda amaze me, dude.”

“Wow. That was not as well detailed as Stiles’ explanation but wow. Thanks.” He chuckles a little and they fall silent. Scott then gets up from his bed and starts rummaging his closet drawers before pulling out two thick blankets. He opens his window and says, “How about going on the roof?”

They hop out of his window and climb his roof, settling themselves with their blankets. The sky is crystal-clear and the stars seem to be shining brighter than usual. Isaac admires the sky and its constellations, something that absolutely fascinates him. Stars where always something special to him, and to Camden. He remembers when they were kids, they used to watch the stars through their telescope their parents had bought them. Camden would explain the constellations, the planets and the universe. During summer they would regularly spend their nights out in the wild, as to better see the stars. The rains of shooting stars were always the best though. They would count the shooting stars until their eyelids dropped, making wishes every time they saw one. They’d fall asleep and dream about the universe, only to be woken up by the early sunlight.

“Do you do this often?” Isaac asks.

“Yeah actually. I love watching the stars. I usually do this when I want to be absolutely alone or need to clear my thoughts. I also used to do this with Stiles.”

They spend another hour talking casually about everything and nothing, their frequent laughs echoing through the silence of the night. Scott shares a part of his childhood with Isaac, he talks about his dad and why he left. He talks about his grandparents that passed away too early, his passions and his dislikes. He talks about his school status before being turned, how he was unpopular and unknown. How all of a sudden, his life took a huge turn and he became the ever-so-popular lacrosse captain. Isaac likes hearing all this, and he’s glad Scott trusts him enough to confess to him. He can also relate to everything Scott says about his turning, Isaac having experienced exactly the same feelings and things Scott describes. They share a lot in common, and it’s good to be able to talk freely once in a while. After a while, they start talking about the last few months, a subject they both know to be sensitive.

“So, how have you really been doing, during these last months?” Isaac questions Scott.

“You know, I think I just lost my motivation for life. In a couple of months I’d lost my brother, my best friends, my friends, my girlfriend. I’ve pretty much lost all hope and joy. My days became monotone and painfully slow, like time had slowed. I don’t even know why all of this happened, to be honest.” He gazes back up at the stars. “I think Kira was the spark that ignited the fire. I couldn’t get over her, it was absolutely horrible. I spent my days and nights thinking about her, worrying if she’s doing okay or not. We left each other in such a rush, and I feel so bad for letting her go too quick. I feel so bad for her, that she had to endure all of this and be forced to stay with Skinwalkers because of her powers. I was so madly in love, it was just hell Isaac. It was worse than with Allison, because this time I didn’t know if I would see her ever again. I felt responsible for her condition and for her pain. And from then, everything started crumbling.”

“I’m sorry. I miss her too. I didn’t know her that well, but fighting with her was awesome. She was so skilled and agile, I remember so well. I didn’t talk to her much outside of talking about the supernatural, but she was always so kind and helpful.” Isaac regrets not taking the time to get to know her.

“I’m so sorry, Isaac. Really. I’m so sorry I left all of you guys, when I should have been there. I didn’t do my job as an alpha or as a friend. I’m so sorry I let grief and despair consume me and ruin everything.” Isaac can see tears welling up in Scott’s eyes.

“Hey, Scott. Like I said, don’t take all the blame. This isn’t just about you. It’s about the whole pack. Sure, as our alpha your emotions affect us directly and noxiously, but we all crumbled, not just you. We all started to fall apart, little by little. We all had a hand in creating distance between us. It wasn’t intentional, it’s just nobody did anything to fix it. But nobody did anything about it. Not me, not anyone. So please, Scott, don’t feel too responsible. Let’s just try and fix things, because I need my family back.” At Isaac’s words, Scotts smiles and wipes his eyes.

“Tell me about your last months.” He asks.

“Honestly I think I just went with everyone’s flow. All the bad vibes seemed to get to me and I was drowning in the horrible monotony of everyday life. Nothing pleased me anymore. I skipped classes, let my grades drop drastically and flunked almost all of my classes. I couldn’t sleep or do anything anymore. I wasn’t living in any normal sense of the word. I just let life carry me away. But these last months have just reminded me so much of Erica. In this period of complete chaos, Erica was just my only light in this dark, even though I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again. I searched for her everywhere, and that was basically the only thing I could do that motivated me. It was weird, because Erica didn’t just motivate me, she also brought regret. Regret of not being there for her. So, it was like she was the only thing that kept me going but also brought me despair, regret and misery. My Erica was your Kira, in some way.” Isaac pauses, Erica’s face printed in his mind. “And now, with whatever’s happening, I’m hoping it’ll lead me to her, because I just can’t take it anymore. I can’t stand not knowing where she is. I miss her too much. Just like you miss Kira too much.”

“You guys were really close weren’t you?” Isaac nods. “You know, you and Boyd were probably the only ones that actually knew her. Not even Derek seemed to know her. We only got to see the mask of Erica. I’m sorry to say this, but none of us were particularly friends with her.”

“Yeah, I know. I know she did bad things and behaved like a bitch. I remember how she had acted with you and Allison. I remember also how we had planned on killing Lydia.” Isaac laughs, remembering when he was still in Derek’s pack. “I also remember how she had fought against the Kanima with everyone else. I remember us dancing with Jackson, it was like … this super-hot dance. I remember when she told me she realized we were fighting the wrong people, and that Jackson and Gerard were the real problem. I remember when she grew too scared of the danger and chose to leave for her freedom. I remember the bruises on her face when she got released from the hunters, when she had come and said one last goodbye.”

Isaac and Scott look at each other for a long time before Isaac concludes. “Erica was so much more than she gave off. I’m sorry you got to know that part of her and not the real her.” Isaac pauses and looks down. After a moment of silence he says, “So, what are your plans for the summer?” He continues, leaving the subject of Erica behind in order to not get too emotional.

Turns out they both aren’t going anywhere this summer and are both quite glad. They continue talking about life and its ups and downs. Scott explains the term “regression to the mean”, that Deaton had taught him. They talk about music, food, girls, sports, about their childhoods, even cooking. They end up talking about the other creatures of the supernatural, wendigos, werecoyotes, werejaguars, hellhounds, kitsunes and all their 13 forms. They end up falling in silence, rocked by the delicacy of the starry sky.

“Scott, this is so fun. Thanks for inviting by the way.” Isaac pipes up.

“I had to. I think it was necessary for both of us, and I think it’s going to be necessary for the rest of the pack.” Scott answers, patting Isaac’s knee.

“What do you mean?” Isaac asks curiously.

“Well, for the pack to reunite, I don’t think I could have done it alone. I think that our reunification will lead in the pack’s. You’ll see.” Even through the pitch black night, Isaac swears he sees Scott’s bright smile. “Dude, it’s two in the morning. Wanna go back down? We need to sleep.”

“Scott, I can go home, if you want. I don’t have to stay here.” Isaac says once they’ve climbed back down in Scott’s room.

Scott instantly returns and his eyes bore straight into Isaac’s. “But I want you to stay. Do you want to?”

“I-yeah. Of course, I do, but I don’t know, maybe your mom …”

“My mum has been waiting for me to bring a friend over since forever. She’s just as happy as we are that we’re together again. And she really likes you, so don’t worry.” Scott reassures. “I’m just going to go check on her.”

They descend the stairs in silence and find Melissa, dozing on the sofa, the TV still on. Scott advances to her, gently wakes her up and says, “Mum, I’m gonna carry you to your room. And Isaac is sleeping here tonight, that OK?”

He gets a mumbling in response that both boys interpret as a ‘yes’. Scott picks her up with ease, carrying her back to her bedroom. Isaac is impressed at the agility with which Scott picks his mom up. Isaac guesses this is not the first (or last) time this happens. Scott heads to what Isaac guesses is Melissa’s bedroom but decides to stay in the living room and serve two glasses of water. He’d watched Scott do it and had memorized where the glasses were. He drinks his glass and hands Scott’s his when he gets back from putting Melissa in bed.

“I helped myself, I hope that’s okay.”

“Isaac, this is your home too. Of course it’s okay, you do whatever you want.” Scott chuckles, tapping his shoulder.

They head back upstairs and Isaac realizes that he’s got nothing for the night. No pajamas, no toothbrush, no nothing.

“Don’t worry, I got you. We’ve got spare toothbrushes for guests. And for the pajamas, I sleep in boxers, you can too if you want. I’ll also lend you a T-Shirt .. if you want.” Scott says, while rummaging the bathroom drawers for a spare toothbrush.

“Ah, thanks. Really nice of you.” Isaac thanks, and gets a wink from Scott in response.

“Oh, and I think you’re going to have to sleep here and not in the guest room. We have had some er- complications.” Scott’s hands are in his hair and Isaac can sense his unease.

“What do you mean?” Isaac pursues, curiosity taking over.

“Go see.” Scott says, leading the way.

The guest room is the smallest room of the house, Isaac notices, guessing Melissa’s bedroom is bigger. It disposes of a small single bed and a small window that has been barricaded. What is relevant though, is the state of the furniture. Everywhere, on the bed, on the floor, on the walls, enormous scratches are visible. The bed is completely beaten up, its legs broken and its sheets and mattress stuffed out. Punches are visible in the walls and there are traces of dark blood literally everywhere. The place also reeks of anxiety and anger. Isaac immediately also feels uneasy as he understands the history of this room.

“Wow. These last months have been horrible for your ... wolf side too I’m guessing?” Isaac says.

“Yeah. I didn’t have any anchor anymore. I tried to be my own, but that absolutely didn’t work. So, I tried with Kira, and it worked a little better but not enough to calm the wolf on a full moon. On the first full moon I escaped by breaking the window, that’s why it’s barricaded. I knew beforehand that I would not manage to gain control like before, so I locked myself up in this room and warned my mother about a ‘slight’ noise disturbance and that the room would be completely unusable after.” Scott explains, awkwardness reeking from him.

“She consented in you destroying the room?” Isaac asks incredulously.

“She actually didn’t have a choice. But she said that she didn’t mind that much, because the room reminded her of when my dad drank and had to sleep in that room. It’s going to be more of a problem for friends.” Scott turns back and closes the door behind Isaac. “How do you do it?”

“I have my own anchor. Erica. And it works surprisingly well. Better even than my dad.” Isaac remembers his training with the rest of his old pack.

Scott nods in understanding and they go together to brush their teeth. Scott then hands Isaac a Metallica T-Shirt and begins to strip. Isaac watches the muscular of Scott McCall, his abs and pecs even more developed than Isaac’s. He also notices the bulge in his underpants. Isaac grins and begin to strip as well, pulling on the Metallica T-Shirt and inhaling the divine smells he cannot even comprehend or describe. He strips off his underpants and reveals his bulge to Scott, and smirks at the other boy when he skims over Isaac’s body. Déjà-vu, special thanks to Allison. He falls on Scott’s bed, where he supposes he will sleep.

“I hope you don’t mind us sleeping together, Isaac. It’s just one night.” Scott laughs as he gets in the bed next to Isaac, having switched off the lights.

“I do actually, I’m not sleeping with another man.” He replies sarcastically. Not hearing Scott understand, he quickly adds, laughing, “Dude, no, not at all. I couldn’t care less. Come on, I’m not that closed off. And everybody needs a bromance in their life.” He remembers how he used to sleep with his brother when they were kids. Scott laughs in comprehension.

“Still the same old sarcastic Isaac. Missed that.” Scott says. “Sleep tight Isaac. It was great tonight.”

“Sleep tight too, and thank you for tonight, it couldn’t have been possible without you.” Isaac says one last time before sleep takes over him.

He sleeps in this bed where emotions are mingled, and before he falls asleep he can pick up great pleasure, relief and another something he can’t quite put his finger on. The other smells include all the ingredients to the smell of home, a smell he beyond adores.

He’s experienced the best day he’s had for months since Erica has disappeared. He’s thankful to Derek and Stiles, Lydia and Melissa, but most of all he’s thankful to Scott. He is forever grateful Scott is part of this world. He’s thankful for Scott’s ability to bring a sense of safety and ease around him. He loves being around Scott, and he wishes it could go on.

He has the best night’s sleep he’s ever experienced, unconsciously wrapped in the arms of Scott McCall.


End file.
